The Parental Visit – part 3 - Limón
Saturday morning we drove back to San José, dropped off the rental car, and took a taxi to the bus station to head down to Limón. We got to the station about 5 minutes before 11 and were not only able to get seats on the 11:00 bus, but the front row, which meant more leg room and a great view of the scenery and activity on the road. My parents loved the view as we drove through the mountains and countryside, and were quite entertained by the true Costa Rican driving style displayed by our driver. Once in Limón, the folks got a taste of the good ole Caribbean heat and humidity. I think they were dripping with sweat before we even made it out of the bus station. :) I had reserved a room at a hotel downtown and the room had a cute little patio looking right out at the Caribbean. We checked in, unloaded their stuff, cranked on the A/C, then decided to take a walk around downtown Limón. After awhile the rain drove us indoors, so we stopped off for a break and a cold treat at TCBY. How nice. Later, I brought my parents up the hill to my house so they could see where I live and they met Mirna and her daughter, Karin, who I live with. That night we had a great leisurely dinner and dessert at the hotel restaurant before I took a cab back home.
Sunday morning I brought my parents to church with me at First Baptist Church. I had explained to them that it was basically an all Negro congregation, besides me, so they would be sure to stand out as visitors. So you can imagine my surprise to walk in, sit down, and then see this huge parade of about 40 American young people come walking up the aisles and dispersing themselves among the pews. Turns out that we blended right in to what was nearly the new majority that Sunday. Besides the visit of our own mission team from CCC in July, I had never seen any other Caucasian Americans at all until, of course, the one time I bring my parents. I couldn’t help but chuckle about that. Anyway, after church and lunch, the folks and I took a bus for a short ride along the coast out to see one of the 2 main ports in Limón. My dad loved watching the huge ships load and unload semi truck containers of bananas and pineapples and who knows what else. It was just the type of thing his mechanical and engineering mind is intrigued by. That night my mom and I made a visit to Getsemaní Baptist Church to meet some of my friends there, and share in part of their worship. Given the fact that it is all in Spanish, and her not understanding anything, the whole service might have been a bit much, so we ducked out early and headed back to the hotel to have dinner with my dad. Luckily, Sunday had been a cooler, cloudy day, so although the folks did not remain perfectly dry, it was much more of a pleasant experience than it could have been for them.
Monday morning my mom and I took the bus out to the nearby sandy beach and waded in the water and soaked up some rays for a bit. It was a big occasion – being my mom’s first time in the Caribbean and all, and the warm water and golden sand didn’t disappoint. It was quite a hot, sunny day though, so we didn’t last too long spread out on towels in the sun-bathing position. Our time had served our needs just perfect though, so we gathered our stuff and took the bus back into town. For lunch I took my parents to this great restaurant on top of a hill just above my house. The restaurant has a fabulous 180+ degree view overlooking all of Limón and off into the endless Caribbean, and even the beaches further south. Given the sun and blue sky, we had the perfect day for taking advantage of the view. And the food was great too! In the afternoon my mom and I did some souvenir shopping, a couple errands, and managed to find a cute café for an afternoon coffee break. That night my parents came with me to Getsemani Baptist Church so they could be special guests at my English class. It was fun to be able to introduce my students and friends to my parents, and vice versa. Plus, I think my parents really enjoyed watching me in action as a teacher. After class we cooled off with a treat from TCBY, at my dad’s request and not mine – what a surprise! I guess I know where I get my love of frozen yogurt from…
Sunday morning I brought my parents to church with me at First Baptist Church. I had explained to them that it was basically an all Negro congregation, besides me, so they would be sure to stand out as visitors. So you can imagine my surprise to walk in, sit down, and then see this huge parade of about 40 American young people come walking up the aisles and dispersing themselves among the pews. Turns out that we blended right in to what was nearly the new majority that Sunday. Besides the visit of our own mission team from CCC in July, I had never seen any other Caucasian Americans at all until, of course, the one time I bring my parents. I couldn’t help but chuckle about that. Anyway, after church and lunch, the folks and I took a bus for a short ride along the coast out to see one of the 2 main ports in Limón. My dad loved watching the huge ships load and unload semi truck containers of bananas and pineapples and who knows what else. It was just the type of thing his mechanical and engineering mind is intrigued by. That night my mom and I made a visit to Getsemaní Baptist Church to meet some of my friends there, and share in part of their worship. Given the fact that it is all in Spanish, and her not understanding anything, the whole service might have been a bit much, so we ducked out early and headed back to the hotel to have dinner with my dad. Luckily, Sunday had been a cooler, cloudy day, so although the folks did not remain perfectly dry, it was much more of a pleasant experience than it could have been for them.
Monday morning my mom and I took the bus out to the nearby sandy beach and waded in the water and soaked up some rays for a bit. It was a big occasion – being my mom’s first time in the Caribbean and all, and the warm water and golden sand didn’t disappoint. It was quite a hot, sunny day though, so we didn’t last too long spread out on towels in the sun-bathing position. Our time had served our needs just perfect though, so we gathered our stuff and took the bus back into town. For lunch I took my parents to this great restaurant on top of a hill just above my house. The restaurant has a fabulous 180+ degree view overlooking all of Limón and off into the endless Caribbean, and even the beaches further south. Given the sun and blue sky, we had the perfect day for taking advantage of the view. And the food was great too! In the afternoon my mom and I did some souvenir shopping, a couple errands, and managed to find a cute café for an afternoon coffee break. That night my parents came with me to Getsemani Baptist Church so they could be special guests at my English class. It was fun to be able to introduce my students and friends to my parents, and vice versa. Plus, I think my parents really enjoyed watching me in action as a teacher. After class we cooled off with a treat from TCBY, at my dad’s request and not mine – what a surprise! I guess I know where I get my love of frozen yogurt from…
posted by Dynasty goes to CR at
1:35 PM
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